The field of art to which this invention pertains is the hydrocracking of a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock having a propensity to form 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds without excessively fouling the processing unit. The 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds are considered to be refractory in a hydrocracking process, are highly resistant to conversion in a hydrocracking reaction zone and are therefore undesirable components in the combined feed or recycle to a hydrocracking reaction zone. More specifically, the invention relates to a catalytic hydrocracking process which comprises: (a) contacting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock having a propensity to form 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds and a liquid recycle stream in a hydrocracking zone with added hydrogen and a metal promoted hydrocracking catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure sufficient to convert a substantial portion of the feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbon products; (b) partially condensing the hydrocarbon effluent from the hydrocracking zone to produce a gaseous hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrogen, and an unconverted hydrocarbon stream boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) and comprising trace quantities of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds; (c) partially condensing at least a portion of the gaseous hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrogen recovered in step (b) to produce a hydrogen-rich gaseous stream and a liquid stream comprising unconverted hydrocarbonaceous compounds boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) as well as lower boiling hydrocarbon products; (d) separating the liquid stream recovered in step (c) to produce a stream of unconverted hydrocarbonaceous compounds boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) and at least one stream comprising lower boiling hydrocarbon products; (e) contacting at least a portion of the unconverted hydrocarbon stream boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) and comprising trace quantities of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds recovered in step (b) with an adsorbent in an adsorption zone which selectively retains the 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds; and (f) recycling at least a portion of the stream of unconverted hydrocarbonaceous compounds boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) recovered in step (d) and at least a portion of an unconverted hydrocarbon stream boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) and having a reduced concentration of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds resulting from step (e) to the hydrocracking zone as at least a portion of the liquid recycle stream.